On Monday, a comment made by the U.S. National Intelligence Chief Tulsi Gabbard regarding Bangladesh garnered significant attention.

According to multiple sources, Gabbard raised concerns about the possibility of an Islamic caliphate taking hold in Bangladesh, as well as the oppression of minority communities.

It’s important to note that these remarks were made in response to a question posed by an Indian journalist.

After watching the video of the exchange, it became evident that the journalist from NDTV was attempting to provoke Gabbard.

From what I could gather, she didn’t fully grasp the question, and after a few attempts to respond, she offered a rather formulaic answer—one that echoed narratives often found in Indian government and media discourse.

The fallout was swift.

The Bangladesh government formally protested Gabbard’s comments, which is hardly surprising.

As someone who has covered both the White House and the State Department, I can say that officials routinely prepare for tough questions on sensitive issues.

Journalists from all over the world, including the U.S., frequently ask about their respective countries' relations with America.

In most cases, officials offer a standardized, almost rehearsed response when unprepared. Every time I’ve asked about Bangladesh, I’ve received the same boilerplate answer.

It was clear to me that Gabbard was not well-prepared for the specific question posed by the Indian journalist. But the real question is: How has the American media responded to this?

This morning, I found no mention of Gabbard’s comments in The New York Times or any other major American publications.

Clearly, at least for now, this issue doesn’t register as a significant one in the United States.

However, for those to whom it matters—particularly in India—this issue has sparked considerable debate.

Since the interim government took power in Bangladesh, the Indian government and media have been vocal in their opposition.

This reaction is hardly unexpected.

After all, Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister, was once seen as an ally of Delhi. Her sudden fall from power has been a development the Indian government and media have struggled to accept.

Why respond to India’s propaganda?

In some of my earlier writings, I emphasized that responding to every statement from India or attempting to reason with its officials is an exercise in futility.

India's strategy seems clear: they are keeping the Yunus government distracted, bogged down in various issues so that Dr. Yunus cannot focus on the genuine reforms Bangladesh so desperately needs.

It’s troubling, then, to see that the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh doesn’t seem to grasp India’s strategy.

Why else would there be such an eagerness to respond to every piece of Indian propaganda? Instead of getting caught in this web, Dr. Yunus should be focusing on the substantial challenges at home.

India’s disinformation campaign is proving to be a significant threat to Dr. Yunus. If it weren’t, why would he seek the intervention of the UN Secretary-General to counter this onslaught?

In the current global landscape, India holds substantial military and economic power, which makes them largely indifferent to international criticism.

The UN, as it stands, is little more than a powerless institution in their eyes.

For instance, the UN has been trying to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir since 1948, but India’s intransigence has thwarted these efforts, with little support coming from the major world powers—Russia, the U.S., or Europe—for the oppressed Kashmiris.

A few years ago, I visited a UN office in Srinagar, Kashmir, and asked a journalist friend about the work they do there.

He explained that they are still trying to solve the Kashmir issue. I laughed and remarked, “Do the UN officials not realize that this is impossible?”

My friend chuckled and responded, “Of course, they know. But for decades, they’ve been living comfortably with high salaries and benefits, doing little work.”

This situation serves as a reminder: instead of expending energy on India’s disinformation campaign, Bangladesh must focus on stabilizing the country as swiftly as possible.

True progress, rooted in stability and development, will be the most effective response to India.

It will also put an end to their Hasina rehabilitation project, which remains a persistent threat to the country’s future.

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Arshad Mahmud is a senior journalist. He covered Bangladesh for the New York Times for a long time